Church of the Ascension

East Jerusalem


In 1898 the Ottomans granted Germany 8 hectares of land on the Mount of Olives. This was set aside for a church and hospice, and the complex was named after Augusta Victoria, wife of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Completed in 1910, the church is decorated with mosaics and frescoes, and has a 60m-high bell tower that can be climbed by visitors (there are 203 steps).

The Turkish army occupied the hospice during WWI, and the British later converted it into a military hospital – it’s still a hospital today.

Transportation

  • bus: 275

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